Episode 52
Linda Borghi
Linda Borghi wants to turn the tide on the industrial/agricultural system by building a movement around backyard farming.
The problem with the agriculture industry is that we are dependent on it, she says. So, with the help of some friends, Linda is launching an online webinar series that aims to teach people how to “Farm-a-Yard” to meet their own family’s food needs or to generate $75,000 on a half acre of land in a 22 week season.
Self-Sufficiency
We all have to have food. But because we are dependent on industrial agriculture to provide that food, we are vulnerable, she points out. Linda says true food security is opening up your kitchen door and going and getting your own food.
In her own words:
Today we use 40% of the drinking water on the east coast just to water that lawn, it’s stupid…..really really stupid. We need to convert this into food production areas, just like the victory gardens during World War 2.
In this interview, Linda shares the experiences that brought her to this point in her life. As a child she lived in many places. But nothing impressed her more than spending time with her grandmother in Italy. Seeing that example of food self-sufficiency sparked her desire to become a farmer later in life.
Her years of business experience, gave Linda the expertise to teach would-be backyard farmers how to make a living at it. But with the help of people like bio-energetic farmer and consultant, Evan Folds, Linda’s upcoming course seeks to cover everything you need to know to farm your yard.
Backyard Farming
Did you know that there are 40.5 million acres of lawn in our country? Those lawns suck up a tremendous amount of water. Imagine the impact of turning most if not all of those lawns into small farms that provide individual as well as local food security without corporations or poisons?
That is just the beginning of the shift Linda wants to help create.
I was truly inspired by my conversation with Linda. And I hope to sign up for her class when it starts.
Learning techniques for growing my family’s food more efficiently is certainly high on my list of priorities. And if I can learn reliable methods for making a living from my land, I would be ecstatic!
How are you making use of your yard? Is it helping to meet your family’s needs? Are you generating an income?
Please share your experiences in the comments. Or drop me an email at jenise@sustainablelivingpodcast.com.
You may also wish to check my latest interview with Linda, here:
http://184.154.247.208/~sustajo7/does-your-soil-support-life/
